Wheel lock for injector tools



Oct. 29, 1968 w, J, CASTLE ET AL 3,407,688

WHEEL LOCK FOR INJECTOR TOOLS Filed Dec. 30, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.2

21 2 s 25 so 2 9 Fig. 3

INVENTORS WILLARD J. CASTLE BY ROBERT J. MANNING ATTOR N EYS V INVENTORSg R WILLARD J. 0 LE 27 B ROBERT J. MA as Oct. 29, 1968 w. J. CASTLE ETAL 3,407,688

WHEEL LOCK FOR INJECTOR TOOLS Filed Dec. 30, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,407,688 WHEEL LOCK FOR INJECTOR TOOLSWillard J. Castle, 11099 Sprague Road, North Royalton,

Ohio 44133, and Robert J. Manning, 6401 Springwood Road, Parma Heights,Ohio 44129 Filed Dec. 30, 1966, Ser. No. 606,209 9 Claims. (Cl.81--15.7)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tire repairing injector tool is provided inwhich a needle is utilized to inject the repair material into a tire,and means are provided for bowing a portion of the needle betweenaxially-spaced needle-supporting fulcrum points, whereby to lock theneedle against axial movement during the injection of the repairmaterial.

This invention relates to injector tools of the type described in US.Patent No. 3,110,205, but has reference more particularly to improvedmeans for locking the needle of the tool against axial movement ordisplacement during insertion of the puncture sealing material into thepuncture in a tubeless vehicle tire and removal of the needle from thetire.

A primary object of the invention is to provide improved means forlocking the needle, whereby the needle is locked at three axially spacedpoints, and is positively held against movement during insertion as wellas removal of the needle in the tire.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved locking means ofthe character described, in the use of which an increase in the pushingor inserting force re sults in an increase in the effectiveness of thelocking action. r

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means of thecharacter described, in the form of an easily manipulated wheel lock ofsimple and inexpensive construction, which can be quickly and easilyassembled with the other parts of the tool.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a wheel lockof'the character described, which can be quickly and easily released forthe purpose of resetting or adjusting the effective length of theneedle.

,Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same,

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an injector tool embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the forward portion ofthe tool;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the tool;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view, taken on the line 44 ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view, taken on the line5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, taken on the line 6-6 ofFIG. 3, and

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the locking wheel.

In a tool of the character described, it is essential that the needle,after being set to provide an effective por tion thereof which isinserted in the puncture of the tire, be locked in said pre-setposition, so that the needle can be inserted in the puncture withoutfear or danger of slipping relatively to the tool.

It is also essential that the needle be locked in said position, so thatwhen it is withdrawn from the tire, it cannot slip relatively to itsholder, so as to increase its effective length, since any undesirableincrease in its ef- 3,407,688 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 ice fective lengthcan. cause the needle to damage or puncture the side of the tire whichis opposite the puncture which is being repaired or filled.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, thetool will be seen tocomprise a tube or cylinder 1 which is adapted to contain a cartridge orroll 2 of puncture repair material, such, for example, as that disclosedin the aforesaid U.S. Patent 3,110,205 or in US. Patent 3,049,164. Therear end of the tube is closed, and the forward end of the tube isflared as at 3 and externally threaded as at 4 for the attachmentthereto of a closure cap 5.

The cap 5 has a central opening 6 through which extends an externallythreaded tenon or stem 7 of a cylindrical needle holder 8 having aconical forward portion 9.

The needle holder 8 is secured with its base against the cap 5 by meansof a nut 10, a lock washer 11 being interposed between the nut and theinner wall of the cap.

The holder 8 has axially-aligned spaced passageways 12 and 13 for thepassage therethrough of a needle 14, which has a rear portion extendinginto the tube 1 and an eye 15 spaced forwardly of the holder. The holder8 also has a passageway 16 therein spaced below and parallel with theaxis of the passageways 12 and 13 for the passage therethrough of thepuncture sealing material 2, the forward end of which is threadedthrough the eye 15 of the needle 14.

The holder 8, which is preferably made as an aluminum die casting, iscored to provide a recess 17, having vertical spaced side walls 18 and19, a front wall 20, a rear wall 21, and a bottom 22. The bottom 22 isspaced somewhat below the needle 14. At their upper ends, the side walls18 and 19 terminate in horizontal ledges 23, from which side walls 24and 25 extend vertically, these side walls being spaced laterally to agreater extent than the side walls 18 and 19, for a purpose to bepresently explained.

The recess 17 is designed to receive a wheel 26 having in its peripherya groove 27 of V-shaped cross-section. A portion of the wheel and thegroove, at the bottom of the wheel, are removed to provide a fiat 28,which is perpendicular to a radial line drawn from the axis of the wheelto the center of the flat. The wheel 26 is mounted for rotation on ashaft or pin 29, the ends of which are mounted in the holder 8, as bestseen in FIG. 4.

The upper portion of the wheel 26 has rigidly secured thereto athumb-piece 30 having a longitudinally curved thumb rest 31 in its uppersurface, which is knurled. This thumb-piece may, if desired, be moldedor formed integrally with the wheel 26. The thumb-piece 30, which issubstantially wider than the wheel is accommodated in the space abovethe ledges 23 and between the vertical walls 24 and 25.

In FIG. 5, as well as in the other figures, the wheel 26 is shown in itsnon-locking position, in which the flat 28 is substantially parallelwith the axis of the needle 14, a slight clearance of severalthousandths of an inch being provided between the flat 28 and thesurface of the needle to permit the needle to be moved longitudinally toexpose any desired portion thereof, forwardly of the needle holder 8.

In order to lock the needle 14 in position after it has been thus moved,and to prevent axial movement of the needle relatively to the holderduring insertion of the needle in the tire, the wheel is rotated in ananti-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 5, to the positionapproximately indicated by the broken line position of the thumbpiece30. This is accomplished while gripping the tube 1 with the fingers andpressing the thumb-piece forwardly 3 and downwardly with the thumb ofthe hand which is gripping the tube.

This causes the portion of the needle 14 between the walls 20 and 21 tobe bowed slightly downwardly, to the position shown in broken lines inFIG. 5, the points A and B of the holder acting as fulcrum points forthe bowing action. The extent of bowing is very slight, being shownsomewhat exaggeratedly in FIG. 5. At the same time, the groove 27 in thewheel 26 exerts a wedging action on the upper surface of the needle,which wedging action coacts with the aforesaid bowing action toeffectively lock the needle against axial movement relatively to theholder 8, permitting the needle to be inserted into the tire as well asremoved from the tire without danger of slipping. This wedging action isenhanced by reason of the fact that the wheel 26 is made of a relativelysoft metal, such as aluminum, and the needle is usually made of steel ora hard ferrous alloy.

It may be noted that since the pushing force on the needle duringinsertion is to the left, as viewed in FIG. 5, that as this pushingforce is increased, portions of the wheel of progressively increasingradii come into contact with the needle, so that the locking action onthe needle is, in effect, increased as the pushing action is increased,thereby virtually eliminating any possibility of the needle slipping.

After the needle has been withdrawn from the tire, the wheel is restoredto the solid line position shown in FIG. 5, thereby quickly and easilyreleasing the needle for any desired adjustment or for removal from thetool. Since the needle is of a resilient nature, the bowed portion ofthe needle is restored to its original straight condition, and there isno permanent distortion of the needle.

The use of a relatively soft alloy for the wheel is also effective fromthe viewpoint that the wheel does not mar the surface of the needle,although even if the wheel were made of steel, the extent of marring ofthe needle would be negligible.

After repeated use of the tool, the groove in the wheel adjacent thearea at which it makes contact with the needle may become slightly wornor flattened, but due to the construction and manner in which the wheelis assembled with the holder, the wheel may be quickly and easilyreplaced with a new wheel, if necessary.

It is thus seen that I have provided improved locking means for lockingthe needle, whereby the needle is locked at three axially spaced points,that is to say, the points A and B and the point of engagement of thewheel with the needle, thereby effectively locking the needle againstmovement in its holder during insertion as well as removal of the needlefrom the tire.

It is also seen that I have provided improved locking means in the useof which an increase in the pushing or inserting force on the needleresults in an increase in the effectiveness or efiiciency of the lockingaction.

It is further seen that I have provided improved locking means in theform of an easily manipulated wheel lock or locking wheel, of simple andinexpensive construction, which can be quickly and easily assembled withthe other parts of the tool, and which can be quickly and easilyreleased for the purpose of resetting or adjusting the effective lengthof the needle.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown anddescribed, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and thatvarious changes may be made in the shape, size and arrangement of partsthereof, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scopeof the subjoined claims.

We claim:

1. In a tool of the character described, a needle, a holder having arecess therein for passage of said needle, means for supporting aportion of said needle at points spaced axially of said needle, saidportion of said needle being free to bow in response to pressure appliedto said needle at a point intermediate said spaced points, and means forapplying such pressure to said needle for locking said needle againstaxial movement relatively to said holder.

2. A tool, as defined in claim 1, wherein said pressure applying meanshas means for wedgingly engaging said portion of said needle.

3. A tool, as defined in claim 1, wherein said recess has a bottomspaced below said needle.

4. A tool, as defined in claim 3, wherein said recess has end wallsbetween which said portion of said needle extends, said end wallsproviding fulcrum points for the support of said portion of said needle.

5. In a tool of the character described, a holder having a recesstherein for passage of a needle, said holder having means for supportingsaid needle at points spaced axially of said needle, means for bowingthe portion of said needle between said points for locking said needleagainst axial movement relatively to said holder, said howing meansengaging said needle at a point intermediate said spaced points, saidbowing means comprising a wheel mounted for rotary movement in saidholder.

6. A tool, as defined in claim 5, wherein said wheel has a V-shapedgroove in its periphery, and the bottom of said wheel is provided with aflat which is perpendicular to a line drawn from the center of saidWheel to the center of said flat.

7. A tool, as defined in claim 6, wherein said wheel is provided at apoint substantially diametrically opposite from said flat with means forrotating said Wheel.

8. A tool, as defined in claim 7, wherein said last-named meanscomprises a thumb piece adapted to be engaged by the thumb of the userof said tool.

9. In a tool of the character described, a holder having a recesstherein for passage of a needle, means for supporting a portion of saidneedle at points spaced axially of the needle, said portion of saidneedle being free to bow in response to pressure applied to said needleat a point intermediate said spaced points, and means for applying suchpressure to said needle, for locking said needle against axial movementrelatively to said holder when said needle is inserted into a tire, saidlast-named means including means responsive to the pressure of saidneedle into said tire for increasing said locking action.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,706,459 4/1955 Ayres 112-2263,110,205 11/1963 Humphreys et al. 8115.7

FOREIGN PATENTS 621,565 6/1961 Canada.

OTHELL M. SIMPSON, Primary Examiner.

